Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The first table illustrates the total population of New York city and the other two provided the information of population about five different cities from 1800 to 2000.

Overall, the population of New York city in 20th century is at peak as compared to Manhattan and other districts. In the table 2 the percentage of total population decline with the passing century from 76% to 19%. And, rise in percentage of population is observed of other districts like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queen, Staten Island from 24% to 81% in the year 1800 to 2000. The rate of population is increasing day by day as New York City is at the the highest level. But the other districts also have enhanced population percent as compared to Manhattan city whose population is decreasing with the passing of century.

In conclusion, to an extent, rise in population also play important role in economic growth as in New York City as compared to other districts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarise the data but fails to provide a clear, accurate overview of the main trends. While it mentions the decline of Manhattan and the rise of other districts, it lacks specific data points (e.g., the total population figures for 1800 or 2000) to support these claims. The inclusion of personal commentary regarding 'economic growth' is irrelevant to the task, which requires a factual summary of the provided tables. The analysis is superficial and misses key features, such as the overall growth of New York City from 79,216 to over 8 million.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into three short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the abrupt transition 'And, rise in percentage...'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when referring to 'the other two' tables without specifying which data belongs to which. Paragraphing is present but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical flow, making the summary feel like a collection of loosely connected observations rather than a cohesive report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'the rate of population is increasing day by day' are inappropriate for a formal data summary. There are also errors in word choice, such as referring to the five boroughs as 'five different cities' and 'Manhattan city'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to convey the data with precision, relying on basic descriptors like 'rise' and 'decline' without variation or sophisticated collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the other two provided the information of population' (incorrect preposition/word order) and 'rise in percentage of population is observed of other districts' (missing articles and awkward phrasing). There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the simple sentences used often contain errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage. Punctuation is generally functional, but the overall control of grammar is weak.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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